Edinburgh charity provides emergency supply packs to Sick Kids Hospital

An Edinburgh children’s charity is providing emergency supply packs to support children and families in hospital

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, has launched an emergency appeal to help families having to cope with the impact of Covid-19.

Emergency packs

ECHC is delivering free emergency packs containing non-perishable food products and essential items including nappies, toilet roll, tinned soup, beans and tea bags.

ECHC are providing much needed support to families at the hospital.

The packs are designed to help parents and carers manage the additional stress of shopping for their families while their child is in hospital.

Hospital Shop

As well as emergency parcels, ECHC says it is working hard to continue to provide its services to the RHSC during the pandemic.

The charity’s hospital shop will stay open It has launched a telephone support service Play specialists continue to work with children It is continuing to provide parent accommodation

‘The toughest of times’

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “The safety of children, families and NHS staff is our immediate priority. These are unprecedented times for all of us and, just like at home, things are different at the ‘Sick Kids’.

“The incredible NHS staff are working round the clock to make sure every child gets exceptional care throughout the crisis and we at ECHC are doing everything we can to help to reduce fear and isolation and to comfort and support families when they need it most.

“This is why we have launched our COVID-19 Emergency Appeal as we urgently need donations to continue to do this.

“Times are difficult for all of us, but if anyone would still like to give, donations could provide a family with a much-needed food pack, fund a special play session at a child’s bedside or pay for a mum and dad to stay in our parent accommodation and be close to their child at the toughest of times.”

The charity says a donation of £10 could fund an emergency supply pack for one family, £15 could fund a special bedside play or creative session and £50 could pay for parents and carers to stay in ECHC’s parent accommodation for one week.

Donations can be made online here.